Portland Trail Blazers guard Matisse Thybulle has picked up the player option on his contract, an NBA source has told The Oregonian/OregonLive.
Chris Haynes first reported the news.
The move comes a day after the Blazers agreed to trade Anfernee Simons to the Boston Celtics for guard Jrue Holiday.
Thybulle’s return is not surprising. He exited last season, saying he fully expected to return after appearing in just 15 games after missing 66 with knee and ankle injuries (he did not play in his first game in uniform).
“I can’t wait to get a full season under our belts,” he said. “Because this whole year, especially as we forged our identity as being a defensive team, I was just chomping at the bit.”
Thybulle, 28, who will make $11.5 million next season, signed a three-year contract in 2023 after being traded to the Blazers at the trade deadline by the Philadelphia 76ers.
He entered the 2024 training camp looking to compete for playing time as a backup shooting guard and small forward. But a knee injury caused him to sit out for two months. Then, just before he was set to return, Thybulle severely injured his right ankle on Nov. 20 during a practice in Oklahoma City.
He finally returned on March 17 and made an immediate impact. Thybulle averaged 7.5 points with 1.6 steals in 20.8 minutes per game. He shot 47.4% from the field and a career-best 43.5% from three-point range.
Thybulle and Holiday give the Blazers two highly-regarded perimeter defenders who should complement younger guards, Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson.
— Aaron Fentress | [email protected] | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook)